Automatic piano-player.



G. W. DAVENPORT & L. J. BURKHIM.

AUTOMATIC PIANO PLAYER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 22. 1915.

Patented Apr. 17, 1917'.-

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.//M nu Widnes/y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. DAVENPORT AND LOUIS J. BURKHIM, OF GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA.

AUTOMATIC PIANO-PLAYER.

Application filed September 22, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE W. DAVEN- ronr and LOUIS J. BURKHIM, citizens of the United States, residing at Gainesville, in the county of Alachua and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Piano-Players, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention consists in a new and useful improvement in automatic piano players, adapted to be applied to the ordinary type of upright pianos, without alteration to the piano. It comprises a combination of a plurality of' pneumatic control valves of novel construction arranged in a player stack composed of two layers and adapted to operate in conjunction with the usual devices of an automatic piano player, such as a spool box, tracker bar and pneumatic generator. The invention further consists in the details of construction hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of the device, showing an end of the two layers of the stack in position in a piano body.

Fig. 2 is a front view of a portion of the upper layer of the stack, partly in section, showing the structure of the control valves in the layer.

Fig. 3 is across-sectional view, through the center of one of the control valves in the upper layer of the stack.

The two layers, A and B, in the player stack extend laterally the length of the keyboard of the piano to which the player is adapted and are held in position in the space immediately between the keys and the wippen of the piano action, by means of two longitudinal iron bars, A. and B, which extend from side to side of the piano body.

Each layer consists of a series of pneumatic control valves so arranged as to control each its own power bellows adapted to v operate its actuating finger situated beneath the wippen of the piano action for each alternate hammer in the piano. The valves in the two layers, thus operating, control all the hammers.

Each layer is composed of three superimposed wooden plates, C, D and E, extending the entire length of the stack, to the front of which is aixed a front plate, F, of glass, to form an air-tight cover, permitting inspection of the construction within the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 17, 1917.

serial No. 51,967.

layer. Each end of the layer is closed by an end plate, G. The construction of the three superimposed wooden plates, C, D and E, comprises the novel form of pneumatic control valves. It is to be understood that in the following description the construction in each layer is duplicated for each valve in the series.

In the top plate, C, of the series of three, there is situated near the outer edge of the plate a circular orifice 1, in which is set a valve seat 2, composed of a circular collar of glass, porcelain or other suitable nonco'rrosive material, adapted to fit into the orifice 1 with an air-tight joint. Aifixed to the top of the plate C and projecting over the center of the orifice 1 is a wooden finger 3, provided with a circular orifice 4, concentric with the orifice 1, to serve as a guide for the valve stein.

In the top of the second or middle plate, D, there is a rectangular recess 5, extending from the outer edge of the plate D through approximately one half the width of the plate and in depth approximately one quarter of the thickness of the plate D. From the inner side of' this recess 5, there extends a circular air duct 6, curving inwardly and downwardly through the inner end of the plate D and passing out at the bottom of the plate D. Situated in the bottom of the' recess 5 is an orifice 7, in depth approximately one quarter of the thickness of the plate D, having the same diameter and concentric with the orifice 1 in the top plate C. In this orifice 7, is set a valve seat 8, composed of a circular collar of glass, porcelain or other suitable non-corrosive material, adapted to fit into the orifice 7 with an airtight joint. Beneath and projecting below the center of the orifice 7, there is a wooden finger 9 provided with a circular orifice 10, concentric with the orifices 7, 1 and 4, to serve as a guide for the valve stem. Beneath the orifice 7 the plate D is cut away from its outer edge through approximately three quarters of its width and the remaining half of its thickness and throughout its entire length, to form the vacuum chamber 11. Thus it will be seen that this vacuum chamber 11 extends the entire length of each layer and is connected through the orifices 7 in the plate D with each of the control valves. The vacuum chamber 11 is closed ateach end by the end plate G, and it is connected, at one end by a tube 11 with the vacuum bellows of the pneumatic system of the player.

ln the top ot the third or bottom plate E, which is the diaphragm board, there is a circular recess 12, situated near the outer edge of the plate E. T circular recess has a depth approximately one halt of the thickness ot the plate E and a diameter ap proximately twice the diameter ol ene orilices 1 and 7, and is so situated that it is concentric with the orifices 10, Y, 1 and e. lForming';n an air-tight covering` oit the top ot this recess 12, is a skin'diapliragm 13, adapted to be expanded and contracted by the fr pressure in the recess lassing from the middle ot the inner side ot' the recess 12, through the center ot the plate E and opening` through the inner side ot the` plate E, is a circular air duct 111, to connect therecess 12 with the tracker bar ot the player. ln the end 15 of this air duct 1%-, adjacent to the recess 12, there is located a minute air duct 16, through the top ot the plate E, into the vacuum chamber 11, to serve as the bleed valve. Passing from top to bottom through the inner end of the plate E, there is an air duct 17, so situated as to communicate with the opening ot the air duct G in the bottom of the middle plate D, and opening through the bottom ot the bottom plate E into the power bellows 18.

The valve stem 19 is composed ot wood and is oi' suitable length and diameter to fit in the described construction in the manner set forth. rlhe lower end oit' the stem 19 has an enlarged, pear-shaped portion 20, which rests on the center ot the skin diaphragm 18 covering the recess 12 in the bot tom plate E. Passing` upwardly through the vacuum chamber 11, held vertical therein by the orifice 10 in the guide finger 9, the stem extends through the valve seat 8, the recess 5, the valve seat 2, and has its upper end 21 passing` through the orifice 4 in the guide linger 3 above the valve seat Passing horizontally through the center ot the stem 19, at the point where the stem 19 passes through the valve seat S, there is a metal pin 22 which projects slightly on either side ot the stem 19. Resting upon these projections and surrounding,` the stem 19, there is a circular lead washer 23. Above this washer recap/3s 23, surrounding the stem 19, there is a circular leather disk 2%, above which there is a felt disk 25, a `ber disk 26, a second telt disk 25 and a second leather disk 2st. Both leather disks 241- and 2st and both telt disks 25 and 25 are adhesively connected to the stem 19. rlhe ber disk 25, is provided with a central orifice 27, slightly larger than the diameter ot the stem 19. Each ot these disks is adhesively connected with its adjoining` disks. rthe diameter ot these disks is slightly greater than that ot the orifices 1 and 7. 'lhese disks are so situated on the valve stem 19, in the recess 5, that when the skin diaphragm 13, covering` the recess 12, contracted by the reduction ot the ain pressure in the recess 12, depressing the valve stem 19, the lower leather disk 241 rests upon the upper edge 28 ot the valve seat 8 in the bottom ot the recess 5, with an airtiOht joint, and when the skin diaphragm 13 is expanded by an increase ot the airpressure in the recess 12, elevating the valve stem 19, the upper leather disk 24E is in contact with the lower edge 29 oi" the valve seat 2, so as to form an air-tight joint.

Haring described our invention, what we claim is:

The combination ina pneumatic control valve of a piano player, of a skin diaphragm forming the base rest for the valve stem, a valve stem composed of wood, having an enlarged base portion and provided with a transverse pin and a circular washer of lead, two leather, and two telt disks surrounding the valve stein and adhesively connected thereto, a. liber disk between the two felt disks and adhesively connected thereto, provided with a central orifice ot slightly greater diameter than the diameter et the valve stem, two valve seats composed of noncorrosive material and situated above and below the two leather disks, and two guide lingers of wood for the valve stem, one above and one below the two valve seats.

ln testimony whereof we aliix our signin tures in presence 01"' two witnesses.

GEORGE `W. DAVENPQRT. LOUIS J. BURKHM.

Vilitnesses N. C. DA Cos'ra, B. Gf. LANGsToN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the ommssioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

